Preliminary Report of Numerical Simulation of Intermediate Wavelength ExB Gradient Drift Instability in Ionospheric Plasma Clouds.
Abstract
Two-dimensional numerical simulations of intermediate wavelength (100-1000m) ExB gradient-drift instability in local unstable regions of large F region ionospheric plasma clouds have been performed, using an initial one-dimensional (y), cloud geometry, for plasma cloud density gradient scale lengths L = 3, 6, 10 km. For conditions typical of 200 km barium releases, we find that linearly unstable modes saturate by nonlinear generation of linearly damped modes along the y-direction (parallel to ExB drift). In the nonlinear regime, power laws are observed. These results are compared with recent in situ experimental measurements and theoretical predictions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 07, 1979
- Accession Number
- ADA079307
Entities
People
- Michael J. Keskinen
- P. K. Chaturvedi
- Sidney L. Ossakow
Organizations
- United States Naval Research Laboratory